Anti-coup student activist, who in November was arrested for flashing the anti-coup three-fingered salute at the Hunger Game 3 premiere, was threatened with rape by what are thought to be plainclothes military officers assigned to follow and watch her.
Submitted by editor2 on Sat, 13/12/2014 – 11:04
Anti-coup student activist, who in November was arrested for flashing the anti-coup three-fingered salute at the Hunger Game 3 premiere, was threatened with rape by what are thought to be plainclothes military officers assigned to follow and watch her.
Natchacha Kongudom, a transgender student activist from Bangkok University, told Prachatai that she was threatened with rape by an unidentified man on Friday.
The incident took place after she and other student activists held an activity to condemn the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the junta at an NHRC event on late Friday morning.
According to Natchacha, the man is one of two who have been following her everywhere since she gave the anti-coup salute at the Hunger Games 3 premiere at a Bangkok shopping mall on 20 November, an act which made the front pages of the international media.
“I know that I and other student activists have been followed for a while and of course I’m afraid. This is an abuse of rights. After all, where is my safety?” Natchacha told Prachatai.
Natchacha said she spotted the two men, who might be military officers in plainclothes, at the event. She recognized the two men as those who had been following her for a while.
She approached the two and asked, “What are you doing? Why are you following me?” One of the two answered, “I’m following you to rape you”.
The threat was heard by members of the press and NHRC officials.
After the incident, Natchacha filed a complaint against the two men at the Tung Song Hong Police Station at 15:30 pm and presented pictures as evidence.
Five student activists from TSCD and Dao Din, a student activist group from northeastern Khon Kaen Province, gave the three-fingered salute, a symbol of defiance against the junta, at the human rights event organized by the NHRC “Understanding of human rights is needed before national reform”.
They were stopped by police after they interrupted the speech of NHRC Chairperson, Amara Pongsapich, on the stage and were later invited to have a discussion with Amara.
However, the police took Sirawich Serithiwat, from Thammasat University, and Natchacha as representatives of the group for “attitude adjustment” at the NHRC compound.
The police told the student activists that the salute constituted instigating a political uprising which is prohibited by the junta’s National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and may lead to national security problems.
